[Phil]

fourdad, on 2016-June-10, 11:38, said:

What happened to Phil?

PhilG007 is on forced hiatus until July but I'll be around. Hopefully my posts aren't as entertaining as his.

[miamijd]

MrAce, on 2016-June-09, 07:37, said:

Amazing that I have not witnessed this bid in 34 years of my bridge life, so I polled what is 3♣ in BW. Thanks Helene!

3C can be one of two things depending on partnership agreement. It can either be preemptive in clubs or else a bid showing a solid 7-card suit and asking for a stop for 3NT. Depends on partnership agreement. I'd say preemptive is more common for clubs against a standard bidding system.

3D over 1D is the same, although I'd say that's more 50-50 in terms of how people treat it.

3H over 1H and 3S over 1S are always showing a solid 7-card suit (usually a minor) and asking for a stop for NT. Usually you'll have the seven-card suit and one outside Ace, so that partner's stop is trick 9. Partner typically bids 3NT with a stop and 4C (pass or correct) without one, but if partner has a game-force hand with no stop, he bids 4D.

Cheers,
Mike

[miamijd]

ggwhiz, on 2016-June-09, 09:52, said:

2♦ here shows 16ish pts with 6+ diamonds. Frumpy 11 counts bid 1♦.

ps I should have said I want 1 club to switch to instead of lead. in case double goes float.

2D doesn't show a 16 count. It shows a good opener with a good 6+ card diamond suit.

2D here grossly understates the strength of this hand. If partner has a club stop, you have game. If he has KQxxx of H and out, you may well have 7H.

You have little choice other than X.

[miamijd]

nige1, on 2016-June-09, 20:04, said:

I rank

• 3♣ = ASK. for ♣ stop. I agree with Helene_t that this is the practical option.
• 2♦ = NAT. Intermediate. Quite descriptive.
• 1♦ = NAT.
• Double = T/O. Partner might pass.

IMO a sensible way of replying to a jump-cue is:

• 3N = NAT. With stop in opponent's suit
• Cheaper minor = NEG. Weak.
• Major suit bid = NAT. Good 5+ suit. Values.
• Cue = ART. Values no good 5+ suit.

If you play it as this sort of hand, then 3C is a good bid here. Many don't, however.

If you play 3C as preemptive, X is far, far better than either 1D or 2D. Yes, partner might pass a X, but he is much more likely to pass a 1D or 2D bid. If partner passes a X, that might still be fine (at IMPs, you'll beat 1CX a couple tricks if partner has the expected club stack; at MPs, partner might not have enough stuff outside of clubs to bid over 1D or 2D). But if partner passes 1D or 2D, you are very likely headed for a bad score.

2d doesn't show an "intermediate" 16-17 hand. It's a solid opener with a good 6+ diamond suit. Axx Kxx KQJxxx x would be just fine for that bid. And your hand isn't an "intermediate" hand. It's a rock-crusher.

Cheers,
mike

[miamijd]

fourdad, on 2016-June-10, 04:02, said:

As my reg pds and I would play both 2-3 diamonds as preemptive, I Double.

Responder does not have enough to bid (<6) and my pd's pass means:

Weak or,
clubs with unknown strength.

Opener may be the strongest hand at the table.

Why would you play jump bids as preemptive when responder has passed? There is no more need to preempt.

[miamijd]

Caitlynne, on 2016-June-10, 07:33, said:

The alternatives provided really don't cover the range of possibilities too well.

2D is such a huge underbid that it should not even be on the list! Surely, if you think it is right to bid your diamond suit naturally, 3D is far superior.

So, I chose Dbl. But I don't really like Dbl much since partner has, for all practical purposes (if partner has some reasonable values), denied the presence of a 5 card major. It sure doesn't require much to overcall 1H or 1S unless your partnership practices a very stodgy, super sound overcall structure!

But, as I mentioned, other bids occur to me. One is the aforementioned 3D. The other is 3C - if partner will understand this to mean that I have a solid 7 card suit - is 3C. I would not trot 3C out at the table undiscussed, so for me, 3D seems best.

3C showing the solid 7-card suit and an outside A is fine if you play it that way; I would say "standard expert" is preemptive (3H over 1H and 3S over 1S are the seven-carder). The biggest problem with 3C is that you're going to go set in 3NT on hands that may make 6 of a suit (partner will bid 3NT with xxx KQJx xx J9xx, where 3NT may go set and 6H is likely cold).

3D is fine, too, but it takes up a lot of bidding room (you might have a slam in any of four denominations).

Also, both of these bids give up on playing 1cX. Partner could have xxx xxx void AQT9xxx, you know.

Your comment about partner denying a 5-card major is not correct. Partner could have a 7-card major for all you know:

xx Kxxxxxx x xxx

Partner isn't going to bid anything with this hand, but you can likely make 7H.

I think X, 3C (if agreed that it's this hand), and 3D are reasonable; each has its pluses and minuses.

[MrAce]

miamijd, on 2016-June-10, 15:40, said:

3C can be one of two things depending on partnership agreement. It can either be preemptive in clubs or else a bid showing a solid 7-card suit and asking for a stop for 3NT. Depends on partnership agreement. I'd say preemptive is more common for clubs against a standard bidding system.

3D over 1D is the same, although I'd say that's more 50-50 in terms of how people treat it.

3H over 1H and 3S over 1S are always showing a solid 7-card suit (usually a minor) and asking for a stop for NT. Usually you'll have the seven-card suit and one outside Ace, so that partner's stop is trick 9. Partner typically bids 3NT with a stop and 4C (pass or correct) without one, but if partner has a game-force hand with no stop, he bids 4D.

Cheers,
Mike

Hi Mike.

From your posts before I think you are a good player. Maybe you misunderstood, because this is the first time I find myself in total disagreement with what you wrote. We are talking about 1♣-pass-pass-3♣. This 3♣ in balancing seat can be anything but preemptive. So I am assuming you misunderstood the position. Or are you really suggesting that 3♣ in balancing seat is preemptive?

Otherwise in direct seat instead of balancing, 3♣ says he has a stopper and asks for a solid suit!

[miamijd]

MrAce, on 2016-June-10, 17:24, said:

Hi Mike.

From your posts before I think you are a good player. Maybe you misunderstood, because this is the first time I find myself in total disagreement with what you wrote. We are talking about 1♣-pass-pass-3♣. This 3♣ in balancing seat can be anything but preemptive. So I am assuming you misunderstood the position. Or are you really suggesting that 3♣ in balancing seat is preemptive?

Otherwise in direct seat instead of balancing, 3♣ says he has a stopper and asks for a solid suit!

You are correct; my mistake. 3C in balancing seat obviously isn't preemptive the way it is in direct seat. The jump cue in balancing seat doesn't come up very often; I would take it as a running 7-carder asking for a stop in NT or otherwise a description of the hand (cheapest bid being the negative bid).

3C here is very reasonable. I slightly prefer X, because it's more flexible in case partner has a major suit or a huge club stack, but 3C, 3D, and X are all reasonable.

Good catch.

Mike